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Rather than starting this column by writing about the Supreme Court’s decision on the health care law, let’s begin by discussing health. “You’ll do fine as long as you have your health.” How many times have we heard this familiar lament from Aunt Lucy or Uncle Louie? As I age, I’ve come to realize the truth of this adage. Health is a big issue … in many ways a bigger issue than money. I want to do what I need to do to “have my health”.

Apparently others are catching on to this idea as well. The Principal Financial Group® recently released its Well Being Indexsm for the second quarter of 2012 (http://www.principal.com/wellbeing/). This decade-long quarterly survey conducted by Harris Interactive asks questions of employees who work for companies with staffs of 10 to 1,000 employees. Two points in this quarter’s survey caught my eye: Employees are more likely to rate themselves as physically healthy (53%) than financially healthy (31%), and three quarters of employees (76%) think that by spending time and money on their physical health now, they will avoid major health costs later in life. Americans are poised to deal with the long-term consequences of their personal health.

SCOTUS SPEAKS: So now we have the decision from the Supreme Court on the PPACA. Where does this decision put us in terms of managing our health and the health of our employees? In my mind, the decision doesn’t change much of anything in terms of taking care of one’s health. SCOTUS gave Congress a roadmap, but in the current political environment, we don’t know what Congress will do. The Bottom line for employers is we still don’t know what will happen with health care and health insurance coverage. There’s nothing in the decision that says “and now, health care costs will go down”.

What, then, can an employer do as a result of the PPACA decision? Based on an initial reading of the tea leaves, here are some thoughts:

WAIT BEFORE DOING ANYTHING. The first email I received on the decision was from CNN, informing its readers, “The Supreme Court has struck down the individual mandate for health care.” The second email I received was from the Wall Street Journal declaring “U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Health Law”. Yes, we now know that the individual mandate’s constitutionality was upheld, but that doesn’t answer some of the more nuanced questions. Since the mandate was reinterpreted as a “tax," what does Congress need to do in future legislation to be consistent with this line of thinking? The Court says Congress can’t make the states join in the expanded Medicaid program. What consequence might this have on the estimated 60 million people affected? This lengthy decision needs to be analyzed more thoroughly, and the implications need to be teased out by the smart folks in the room. Employers should continue to listen to trusted advisors and stay tuned to what’s going on. The verdict may be in, but the consequences are yet to be determined.

FOCUS ON WELLNESS. The Court’s decision confirms the constitutionality of key provisions of the PPACA, but it also confirms that we won’t know where health care policy is going. Knowing this, it seems the best course of action is to take steps to minimize medical costs. Focus not just on health care, but on health. The experts tell us a key way to stay healthy is through preventive medicine. If you value your employees and want to keep your benefit costs contained, encourage staff to stay (or get) healthy. An ounce of prevention for a pound of cure in this context is a few dollars to be tested is cheaper than a lot of dollars to be cured.

Wellness programs, a culture emphasizing healthy habits, a commitment to company safety … all these programs get out ahead of health insurance. Then, when insurance comes into play, it may help to have employees participate in the success of the company’s health plan by contributing financially. A health savings account may be worth a fresh look, not just because it could lower the cost of the health plan to the employer. It may also encourage employees to focus on prevention as a way to avoid the high future costs of doctors and medicine.

PARTICIPATE IN THE SOLUTION. The upcoming presidential election is a glaring example of how, notwithstanding the Court’s decision, the debate over health care direction continues. Now that the PPACA is confirmed to be the law, many states have to play catch-up with the insurance exchanges. Also, health insurers are trying to determine new designs to reflect the new reality in health care. Business owners and employers are key constituents in this debate. Now is the time to participate and be heard. It’s good for your health.